Capt. Bobby Bogan ran south and north on Wednesday with his Gambler from Point Pleasant without finding any stripers. He went even further south today before turning east in hope of finding some bluefish. Yet,a long drift instead produced large quantities of mackerel in all sizes. Coolers could be filled with those fish, and anyone interested in loading up with them for food or bait should sail with the Gambler tomorrow, as he has a tilefish trip on Sunday and there's no telling how long the mackerel will stick around with the blues only a few miles away. The water temperature closer in was 47 degrees, but went up to 50 degrees further off. Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, reports some blues in Manasquan River on small metals along with school stripers. Bob Longo of Brick beached a 31-inch striper on a teaser at Mantoloking. Zack Brewer of Point Pleasant fished Point Pleasant Canal for a 30-inch, 10-pound bass on a lure. Jim Brady of Brick caught eight blackfish in the canal, including two keepers. The tog bite is best on the top of the outgoing with sandworms. There was a big change in Raritan Bay striper fishing After Wednesday's poor bite, Johnny Bucktails said there were close to 20 bass caught livelining bunkers from his Sea Hunter out of Keyport -- including a 30-pounder. Art Berkman of Pompton Plains fished aboard Fisher Price from Highlands as that party had a hot bite on live bunkers -- including two of 36 and 43 pounds. Capt. Vinny Vetere of Katfish Charters in Great Kills had two boats out today that caught over 40 bass, including the release of two 40-pounders. Dave Lilly of Hazlet made an afternoon trip to troll bass. He found good marks off Belford, but after trolling big Tony Maja bunker spoons which weren't getting hit, he switched to the small Tony Maja spoon that produced 11 bass of 27 to 32 inches -- but no big bass. Capt. Joe Massa fished the back of the bay Wednesday with his My III Sons from Morgan Marina when the bite was off. He got a bass on a live bunker right away, but that was it. He later ran to Long Branch for blackfish, but got only one keeper and a short before the hard south wind came up. A small seal came up alongside and tried to make friends. Tank Matraxia of Lyndhurst said his party on Carnivore from Sewaren only boated one striper during Wednesday's poor bite, while he had another on that was lost to a pulled circle hook -- a sure sign that things are going badly as fish rarely get rid of those hooks after they're set. I stopped briefly at Manasquan Inlet late this afternoon, and saw a caster lose a blue on metal and land one of about 6 pounds on a small popper before his luck ran out. I tried casting a big pencil popper, and only raised two blues. At Seaside Park, Grumpy's Tackle weighed a 10-pound striper caught on clams in the surf, but big blues in the bay are the feature there along with some on chunks in the surf. Betty & Nick's reported one angler caught four short bass Thursday in Seaside on clams, while another beached a 29-incher on a green-tail Ava.  Friday's reports included three short bass to 25 inches on shads; four at Gillikins in the park on clams; and six blues from right up the road in Seaside.